Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg in À Bout de Souffle. Note the 'New York' in that newspaper logo. Photograph: The Ronald Grant Archive

We are in the run-up to the transformation of the International Herald Tribune into the International New York Times. The grey lady is to become la dame grise.

Romantics, which means those who saw Jean Seberg selling the paper in the 1960 movie À Bout de Souffle, may regret this change of title.

Then again, those romantics, as so often with nostalgia, forget what it actually said on her T-shirt: New York, not International, Herald Tribune.

In fact, as the paper's current publisher, Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, is given to pointing out, "New York" rather than "International" has been part of the paper's title for 80 years of its 126-year existence.

The change, due to take place on 15 October, is the logical consequence of the paper being wholly owned by the New York Times and the company's strategy in these digital days to broaden the international appeal of the core title.

What this development indicates is the determination of the New York Times to build a world-wide audience through both print and online platforms. Naturally enough, a single brand - or "global mono-brand" to quote Dunbar-Johnson - aids that process.

He consistently stresses the importance of extending the NYT's digital audience during my conference call to Paris with him and Dick Stevenson, who is to edit the International New York Times, thus becoming the paper's de facto Europe editor.

Though both men are clearly happy with the paper's remarkably stable print sales, which stood at 224,771 at the last audit last year, their online focus is obvious.

In accord with the New York Times company's chief executive, Mark Thompson, they are acutely aware of the challenge from other media outlets that are in the process of winning audiences across the globe.

They include CNN, the BBC, Huffington Post, The Guardian, the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, where Dunbar-Johnson worked before joining the International Herald Tribune (IHT) in 1998 as its advertising director.

The NYT, which runs a metered paywall, has 708,000 digital subscribers, but only 10% of those come from outside the United States. "The potential to grow internationally is therefore obvious," says Dunbar-Johnson. "Our eye is on that potential."

The emphasis is on persuading people to pay. "That's increasingly important," he says.

But is there a risk in alienating the current Tribune readership? After 15 years with the paper Dunbar-Johnson doesn't believe the new title will upset the "special sensibilities" of the IHT's loyal audience.

They are already widespread, with strong followings in France - the paper's home base since its foundation as the Paris Herald in 1887 - Italy, Germany and Switzerland. Some 50% are located in Asia, in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Traditionally, there have been relatively few buyers in Britain, not least because of the vibrancy of the London-based national newspaper market.

Will the International New York Times be able to retain its identity? Stevenson says his job is to ensure that the editorial content retains the title's core characteristics.

One of these is undoubtedly the writing of Suzy Menkes. She joined the IHT in 1988 and, as of May this year, was given the title of "international fashion editor" of the International New York Times.

"Suzy is the gold standard," says Dunbar-Johnson. "Her work already appears in the New York Times. This will continue."

Stevenson, who will be based in Paris along with 120 editorial staff, will be in charge of 25 news bureaux and ensure that content is packaged to attract, and retain, readers in territories not properly exploited by the New York Times in the past.

He will also seek to promote regionally tailored news, and views, through tablets and smartphones.

He said: "It's the first time the paper has delegated someone (me) with the authority to oversee New York Times correspondents in this part of the world."

In directing coverage of European news, his major focus will be to ensure that it is published effectively online. The name-change initiative makes no sense unless it improves the digital readership.

Similarly, it is hoped that the anticipated improved volume of online traffic can be parlayed into improving advertising take as companies increasingly mount global advertising campaigns.

In addition, the New York Times is eager to expand its conference and events business outside the US. To that end, Dunbar-Johnson is planning to celebrate the change of title by staging a series of events in October. These will be discussions, rather parties, "to showcase our journalism, offering food for the mind."